Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA)

In the early 1980s, a large
number of separatist groups emerged in Tamil Nadu. These groups were
active during the period when the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) was
sent to Sri Lanka and pro-Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)
sentiments were running high among a section of people in the State.
At that time, the Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA) became active in
the State. The Union government proscribed the TNLA under the Prevention
of Terrorism Act (POTA)
on July 2, 2002. However, official sources have indicated that after
the proscription, TNLA cadres have started operating under a new name
"Tamizhar Vidhuthalai Iyakkam".

Formation

The origins of the TNLA
can be traced to the activities of Pulavar Kaliyaperumal, a former school
teacher and a left-wing extremist, Naxalite, leader. Within the Naxal
ranks, he commenced a debate on Tamil nationalism, which led to differences
of opinion between the Tamil Nadu unit and the all-India unit of the
Communist Party of India––Marxist-Leninist (CPI-ML). While prominent
Naxalite leaders in the State of Tamil Nadu like Pulavar Kaliyaperumal,
Thamizharasan and Anbazhagan alias Sundaram advocated a separate Tamil
Nadu, the all-India leadership rejected the idea. This led to a formal
split in the CPI-ML and the formation of Tamil Nadu Communist Party-Marxist-Leninist
(TNCP-ML) in 1984-85. The TNCP-ML's armed wing was named TNLA. Sundaram
headed the TNCP-ML and Thamizharasan, an engineering student from Ponparappi
village, headed the TNLA.

Objective

The TNLA believes that
independence of Tamil Nadu from ‘Indian rule’ is essential for the betterment
of the people of Tamil Nadu and that armed struggle is necessary to
achieve independence.

Early Activities

Between 1985 and 1987,
the TNLA’s leaders were involved in minor bomb blasts and murders of
whom they said were ‘enemies of the people’. After carrying out a terrorist
act they used to put up posters with a view to justify their violence.
To raise funds, the TNLA started looting nationalised banks. In one
such incident on September 1, 1987, the public lynched TNLA leader Thamizharasan
and four others in Ponparappi village when he, along with some cadres,
attempted to rob a bank.

After Thamizharasan's death,
Lenin alias Dheivasigamani assumed leadership of the TNLA. He was more
aggressive in his approach and the group grew rapidly under his leadership.
Branches came up at Jayamkondan, Ariyalur, Vallam and other areas of
the erstwhile Tiruchi and south Arcot districts. Under his leadership,
the TNLA started attacking police stations and looting arms and ammunition.
On March 29, 1994, while Lenin was on his way to bomb a police station
at Muthandikuppam in south Arcot district, he was killed in a bomb blast.
After Lenin’s death Koovagam Ramasamy was elected its president and
Illavarasan its working president.

The TNLA once again came
into limelight when the forest brigand Veerappan abducted Kannada film
actor Dr. Rajkumar in July 2000. It also brought to the fore the nexus
between the TNLA and the Veerappan gang. The nexus was evident in the
brigand’s list of 10 demands that included the release of five TNLA
activists from Tamil Nadu prisons.

Organisation and Leadership

The TNLA is believed to
have splintered into factions after the death of Thamizharasan. It became
active again under the leadership of Lenin, who was also killed in a
bomb blast. At present, Maran who is in jail is the leader of the TNLA.

The TNLA was, at one time,
said to be active in three districts Cuddalore, Chidambaram and Perambalur.
Cuddalore, in fact, has been chronically plagued by caste strife between
the Vanniya community, basically agriculturists, and the Dalits, who
are socially underprivileged. Some Vanniya leaders have even sought
the repeal of the Protection of Civil Rights Act alleging that it was
being misused by the Dalits.

The area where forest brigand
Veerappan operates also serves as a safe haven for the TNLA cadres.

In an effort to strengthen
themselves, both financially and arms wise, these groups have attempted
to take control of the 30,000 acres of Cashew nut groves in the Perambalur
and Cuddalore districts. This led to brutal killings. In 1997 alone,
approximately 12 TNLA members, including Koovaagam Ramasamy (a leader
of one of the TNLA factions) were killed. The police arrested Ilavarasan
in connection with Ramasamy's murder.

With both his rivals out
of action, the third TNLA group leader Maran gained strength. He met
several members of the rival TNLA groups and brought them over to his
side.

The TNLA has close ties
with the LTTE. The LTTE used Tamil Nadu as a sanctuary for many years,
but was outlawed by India for assassinating former Prime Minster Rajiv
Gandhi in 1991. Outfits like the TNLA give the LTTE a chance to infiltrate
into India.

The outfit is also closely
associated with the forest brigand Veerappan. When Maran was looking
to safeguard himself and his gang members from the police dragnet, one
of his gang members, who had met Veerappan earlier, suggested the latter’s
name. Furthermore, TNLA always remained a Vanniya dominated organisation,
headed only by Vanniya leaders. Its present leader Maran and Veerappan
belong to the same Vanniya community. Veerappan and the TNLA also found
a common enemy in the form of the State of Karnataka. While the brigand
wanted to take revenge on Karnataka for "killing" his brother Arjunan,
the TNLA found more than one reason (release of Cauvery waters to TN,
protection of Tamils in Karnataka, etc) to fight Karnataka in the interest
of Tamils. Whereas the Cauvery river water dispute had created enough
differences between TN and Karnataka, it suited the TNLA's political
agenda. The TNLA-Veerappan nexus has in the recent times emerged as
a threat to the Tamil Nadu and Karnataka governments, creating serious
law and order problems.

Major Incidents

2005

July 11: Three
TNLA activists are arrested from a village near Chidambaram in Tamil
Nadu.

July 10: Four
suspected members of the outlawed TNLA are arrested from Chennai,
capital city of Tamil Nadu. The arrested are identified as Jayavel
of Kurinjipadi, Selvam of Perambalur, Nataraj and Prabakar of Mayiladuthurai.
Another person, identified as Yuvaraj of Vadamalai, is arrested
for providing shelter to the four. According to police, the four-member
gang had assembled in Chennai as part of a murder plan, which they
had planned to execute in Vridhachalam.

2004

December 11:
Arivazhagan, a former TNLA cadre, is killed near Jayamkondam.

2003

March 25: A
TNLA cadre, Rajaram, and his associate are killed during an encounter
in Chennai. Four police personnel, including an Assistant Commissioner,
are injured in the incident.

February 15: A Special Court at Poonamallee
near Chennai acquits TNLA chief Maran and six others in the Power
Grid Corporation tower blast case.

2002

December 28: Tamil Nadu police arrest
three suspected TNLA cadres near Chidambaram in the Cuddalore district
and recover a large quantity of explosives from their possession.

November 26: Thentamizhan, one of the
TNLA founders and a close associate of its leader, late Tamizharasan,
is convicted and sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment in Tiruchi,
Tamil Nadu, for jumping parole in 1995 and absconding since then.

November 17: Police arrest four activists
of the proscribed TNLA at two separate places and seize explosives
and raw materials used for making pipe bombs in Cuddalore district.

August 24: Two activists of the proscribed
TNLA are arrested near Neyyeli in Cuddalore district along with some
arms and ammunition.

July 2: Union Government proscribes
TNLA for its involvement in terrorist activities.

June 6: TNLA activists raid a jeweler
and demand three kilos of ornaments and Rs 40,000 from him.

2001

February 14: Security forces arrest
TNLA chief Maran in the Siruvani forest area of Tamil Nadu on the
charges of planning the abduction of the Karnataka film actor Dr Rajkumar.

2000

March: The TNLA blast a railway track
at Thiruppapuliyur in the Cuddalore district.

December 16: The State government writes
to the Union government recommending a ban on the TNLA.

November: A few media offices in Chennai
receive an e-mail message threatening to kill the AIADMK general secretary
and current Chief Minister Jayalalitha.

1999

April: The TNLA blasts television towers
at Tuticorin.

1997

July: TNLA cadres attack a police station
at Andimadam.

1995

October: TNLA blasts television towers
at Dharmapuri.

1994

March 29: TNLA leader Lenin is killed
during a bomb blast while he was on his way to plant a bomb at the
Muhtandikuppam police station near Cuddalore.

1993

November: TNLA cadres attack a police
station at Kullanchavadi.

1988

May 18: TNLA carries out a bomb explosion
on the carpet bed map of India in the Government Botanical Garden
in Ooty.

April 10: One person is killed and two
others are injured as TNLA carries out a bomb blast on the Nehru Statue
at the Kathipara junction in Madras city and the TV Relay Station.

1987

September 1: TNLA founder Tamilarasan
is lynched by mob in Ponparappi.

March: TNLA carries out a bomb blast
at the railway bridge at Marudayar near Tiruchi. The explosion derails
the Rockfort Express killing 25 persons.

1986

January 29: TNLA carries out an explosion
on the Kudamurthy bridge in Thanjavar district on the eve of the Prime
Minister’s visit to that area.